A great too many construction professionals are not taking workplace health and safety seriously- either for lack of knowledge or improper training. The UK, however, takes safety so seriously that they have even come up with policies that end up costing them more and really don’t appear to make sense. Somewhere there has to be a happy medium.
Local Councils and Safety Regulations
While we can see that the council had the best interests of the workers in mind, it remains to be seen if they went about it the right way. You can be the judge for yourself.
In order to protect workers and further reduce the risk of injury, council bright sparks banned the use of ladders by maintenance workers. The main job of these workers; changing light bulbs. Ladders may not be the safest invention the world has to offer, but these workers still needed some sort of lift in order to complete their job. The solution was scaffolding. It was decided that scaffolding was a safer option and the only thing allowed to be used to change light bulbs.
Bless them for looking out for our maintenance workers, but the bill they received for this generous act… provided by Kier Stoke- £423,000. Kier Stoke is responsible for the maintenance of over 20,000 homes and 500 commercial buildings and are required to use scaffolding for even the simplest projects. While we can understand and appreciate the concern, taxpayers have paid £1.4 million to cover the costs.
Another problem is that while scaffolding may be safer, it is not as easily accessible or readily available as ladders are, so people are left waiting for a ridiculous amount of time just to have a light bulb changed. City Independents deputy leader Councillor even joked that he’s warned his wife not to let the bathroom bulb burn out or they’ll have to put up scaffolding.
Construction NVQs and Safety in the Workplace – Plastering NVQ
While this story probably has you laughing and even rolling your eyes, it is a testament to how seriously the UK takes the safety of its workers. Even maintenance workers are often required to take extra trainings to further their certifications and make sure they are properly prepared in safety issues.
Now consider your own field of work; perhaps you are a plasterer. Your job requires being able to reach high places; if ladders were no longer acceptable would you be able to adjust? What if the new requirement were different; what if you were suddenly required to have a Level 3 Plastering NVQ before continuing to work? We know that too many professionals take too little interest in NVQ’s but would it be different if it were required?
While it may not be mandatory at this time, an NVQ in Plastering is a certification to the validity of your skills and knowledge. It lets everyone you come in contact with; employers, council members, clients, and others know that you truly are competent in your field.
Even though the Council who made the decision with the scaffolding may have stretched a bit far to protect workers, their next move may not be such a stretch and you may find yourself without work because you didn’t invest the tiny amount of time it takes to get your Plastering NVQ.
Be prepared and invest some time in bettering yourself. It will help to have your NVQ no matter what the situation may be. If a Plastering NVQ Level 2 were to become mandatory, you would be a step ahead and happily working while others are left wishing they had followed suit.
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